Should Crew Spoil Themselves?

Apr 25th 08

By Jordan Mitchnick

If it’s one of those “you name the ailment, I have it” sort of days, it’s probably just another day in the life of a full-on charter season. Crew, I feel your pain.

You may be beginning to wonder how many more ungodly wake up calls, cricks in the neck from sessions of scrubbing crayon marks off bulkheads or jet-skiing expeditions (a.k.a. skeleton-smashing) you can possibly take….

Not one more second? And then voila! Your well overdue holiday is granted.

No matter if it’s a mere lay-day between guests or a full week to bask and indulge, any amount of time spent with feet up and bon-bons being dished out to you (for once), will be heaven. And the spa is just the ticket to re-ju-ven-a-tion.

Should you feel guilty? Do crew deserve to spoil themselves with the perks of exotic, luxury travel or should you separate yourself from what the charter guests are doing and lay low during your downtime?

While some may debate the topic (and we encourage you to do so here), most have no problem at all with living it up when not at work. And there's no shortage of bliss-provoking sanctuaries of all shapes, moods and traditions waiting to greet you with your own custom magic elixir. The Mediterranean is speckled with a zillion spas, so chances are that there’s likely to be at least one within arms reach.

When in Rome…or Sardinia or Antibes or Positano…why not do just as the locals do (and perfected an era ago) and take advantage of the ancient European traditions in the realm of fine wellness treatments?

In today’s global society, you can indeed get a Thai massage in London and a Japanese shiatsu in California, but there’s something special about traveling to the source.

Test out an Italian Fango: a bath or facial of very specific, nutrient-rich, toxin-extracting mud with a precise balance of clay, algae and thermal water, which of course comes only from specific Italian springs. They take their mud very seriously – after all, they’ve been studying the health benefits of it for thousands of years.

French Thalassotherapy is another extremely precise spa practice involving the therapeutic use of seawater, marine algae and marine mud in various body treatments. The French Thalasso experts have it down to a fine science – the seawater, for example, has to be between 96 and 98 degrees Fahrenheit and must be drawn from a certain distance offshore and a certain depth to ensure its purity…and on and on.

So, it's time to spoil yourself for a change. After all, even captains and crewmembers deserve to experience a bit of the finer things in life, right? Especially when you are visiting some of the most exotic locations in the world.

These Italian and French rituals are guaranteed to give you a taste of the sweet life and send you on your way to maxing out on relaxation in the Mediterranean. Enter la dolce vita via one of these spas conveniently located a hop-skip-jump from a dock near you:

Are you still feeling a tinge of guilt after a relaxing day at the spa? Do you feel like your paying guests deserve the special treatment, but you're not worthy of the same? If so, let us know. If not, tell us why.

Should you be a pampered professional or should luxury be off-limits? Vote in our poll, leave your comments below and keep the conversation going.

While you do that, I'll be getting a massage: You know, just to rub out the guilt.

Planet Massage of Las Olas offers the very best in massage therapy and other amazing therapies such as our A.I.S. stretching, which restores range of motion, and is amazing for pain relief. Owner Mark Lohmann has 20 years of experience as a yacht chef and understands the demands of the job. Some rest and recovery time is absolutely necessary. Unfortunately, more often than not, that means a couple of hours at the closest bar and a few rum drinks. Not a bad idea…but not ideal either. What other profession requires workers to work 16-18 hour days and sleep in small bunks, and sometimes horrid cramped, stressful conditions? Often we are away from friends, family, and healthy lifestyles for months at a time? What percentage of us gets a chance to stretch or work on while on a charter or owners trip? Taking care of yourself protects your most valuable asset, your health. How about bringing a therapist along and turning your next charter into something special? Planet Massage specializes in pain and stress relief as well as preventative care. For a limited time, Planet Massage is offering a ½ price crew massage with every full price owner/guest massage! Visit http://www.PlanetMassage.com for our entire menu, specials, and instant online gift certificates. Call 954.763.1619 to schedule an appointment today!Posted by Chef Mark Lohmann08/07/2008 14:54:28